Intel + Windows 10 = Better than Ever

I spend a great deal of time traveling around the world attending technology events and meeting with our customers. I get to test-drive new laptops, 2 in 1s and tablets on a regular basis. And I get to try out the new operating systems that run on them. I check the performance, new usages and experiences, and generally try to see how much these things have improved.

Over the years, I have seen technology make great strides and deliver amazing new user experiences and increased productivity. But I am especially excited about what is coming to market this year.

Today, we celebrate the launch of Windows® 10 with Microsoft and support their vision of inspiring and empowering people with technology. Windows 10, combined with Intel’s best new processors powering these new devices, marks a major milestone in helping drive new computing experiences forward. This is one of those pivotal moments in time where Intel and Microsoft products are building on each other and delivering some amazing new user experiences.

Hundreds of millions of people who are accustomed to the performance and experiences of their 5 year old computer will want to take a second look at their machine. New computers, powered by the 5th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, run the latest software and apps, offer 3 times the battery life, are 10 times better when it comes to gaming, and are almost half as thin and light compared to those older computers. Those old PCs just aren’t capable of delivering the experiences that can help people and businesses run more effectively, efficiently and intuitively. To add to that, system prices have been steadily on the decline even with the addition of a broad set of new features, making this the best time to buy a new device , ever.

This year, new Intel® Atom™ x5 and x7 series and Intel Core processors running Windows 10 will deliver amazing performance in exciting new form-factors. And only devices powered by x86 processors will let people take advantage of the full Windows 10 experiences while also running the existing Windows applications and peripherals people depend on today. So any Intel Atom x5 and x7-powered tablet can run both full Windows and all your favorite older Windows applications. That’s pretty exciting.

I’m also excited about many of the new experiences that take advantage of our best processors and newest system hardware including:

The Cortana Smart Digital Assistant can make dinner reservations, find out what’s playing at the local theater and remind you to pick up a gift or discuss a key report with a work colleague based upon your calendar for the week. Intel has enhanced the overall responsiveness of Cortana on its processors by optimizing speech algorithms, voice activation capabilities and improving microphone implementations.

Content and access to Xbox and Xbox Live on Windows 10 allow people to play Xbox games directly from their PC. The CPU and improved graphics performance enabled through Intel’s latest processors and Windows 10 are delivering new excitement to gamers.

Smooth wireless docking on Intel platforms running Windows 10 allows people to set up devices that pair automatically to a wide range of displays and USB peripherals.

Systems running Windows Hello, which works with Intel RealSense technology, let people unlock their PCs and 2 in 1s in a matter of seconds by scanning their faces using biometric authentication instead of typing a password.

We’re here at an exciting time for consumers and businesses. There has never been a better time for people to gain access to amazing new experiences and performance made possible by Intel, Microsoft and our OEM partners. Congrats to Microsoft, and we’re looking forward to putting all of this in the hands of people worldwide.

About Kirk Skaugen

Kirk Skaugen is senior vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group (CCG) at Intel Corporation. He is responsible for the company's client computing business and strategies exceeding $34 billion for phone, phablet, tablet and PC platforms. Skaugen is leading Intel's efforts to transform client computing through new technologies, form factors and user experiences. He is leading client innovation with initiatives such as Ultrabook, All-in-Ones and new 2 in 1 computing devices. CCG's P&L includes Intel® Core, Core M, VPro technology, Intel® Atom, Celeron®, Pentium® and PUMA processors and related chipsets, and connectivity solutions including Intel's 3G and LTE modems, Thunderbolt technology, Intel® WiFi, WiGig, wired client ethernet, and Intel's new RealSense 3D cameras.
Previously, Skaugen led Intel's PC business, and prior to that role managed Intel's Datacenter and Connected Systems Group with growth from $6.1B to over $10 billion in three years. This included responsibility for Intel's datacenter Xeon® silicon and solutions for cloud computing, high performance computing, communications infrastructure and Intel's Internet of Things (IOT) strategy and solutions.
Skaugen was also located in Asia as general manager of the Asia Pacific Solutions Group, with responsibility for the development and deployment of optimized software and solutions from Asia for Intel's client and server platforms. Skaugen has held a number of positions within Intel's sales and marketing organization, including microprocessor product management, distribution business management and client and enterprise global OEM account management.
Skaugen received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, and was one of six alumni receiving Purdue's Outstanding Electrical Engineer recognition in 2014. He joined Intel in 1992.